Carrier Air Groups of the Battle of the Philippine Sea: A Detailed Breakdown

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was one of the largest aircraft carrier battles of the Pacific War. As the Allies advanced, the Marianas had become the next target, and it was here that two large carrier fleets with thousands of aircraft met. As such, a number of aircraft were involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

A6M Zero

The A6M Zero had been one of the outstanding aircraft of the Pacific War, especially during the first half of the conflict. In 1941 and 1942, the A6M outclassed the Allied aircraft and ensured a degree of air superiority for the Japanese air force during this period. At Pearl Harbor, it provided air support for the Japanese bombers, but would be more active in naval battles such as the Battle of Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. At the Battle of Midway, the A6M downed hundreds of Allied aircraft.

What made the A6M a great plane was most probably its range. In this respect, it was among the first long-range fighter escort planes. As it was a lightweight aircraft, it was also faster than most earlier Allied models.

However, by 1944, the A6M was not the best aircraft in the Pacific War. The Allies had developed new, more advanced aircraft, which ultimately would ensure the demise of the A6M. At the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the A6M was outmatched by the Allied aircraft, and they were lost in increasing numbers after the battle.

B6N

The B6N was the replacement for the B5N. As such, it was a carrier-based torpedo dive bomber that first took to the skies in 1943. Of course, by then, the Allied aircraft were winning the war in the air, as the B6N’s escort planes were increasingly obsolete. This was the case at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in 1944, and so the B6N could not make any notable impact in the battle.

F6F

The F6F first debuted in 1943 at the Battle of Tarawa. It soon became clear that this was the aircraft the Allies required to take care of the A6M aircraft. This aircraft was faster than the A6M at all altitudes, which was a big advantage for the U.S. pilots.

As such, as the war progressed, the F6F took out thousands of Japanese aircraft. The Battle of the Philippine Sea was the high point for the F6F, and ultimately, this was the aircraft that won the Americans the battle.

The SB2C

The SB2C was the American carrier torpedo dive bomber involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. For this battle, it had largely replaced the SBD aircraft, and it was much faster than its predecessor.

The SB2C played its part in America’s victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea as a number of Japanese warships, including three aircraft carriers, were lost during the battle. It was also involved in further battles, such as the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, and then at the Battle of Okinawa, in which it was sent to sink the famous Japanese battleship, the Yamato.

The SBD

Although the SBD had been eclipsed by the SB2C, it was still involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The SBD had been most effective during the Battle of Midway, as SBD dive bombers took out the Japanese aircraft carriers during the battle. While it was more obsolete at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the SBD was still included on the decks of U.S. aircraft carriers along with the SB2C.

These were the aircraft involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The battle was another great victory for the U.S. Navy and its carrier aircraft, which effectively wiped out most of the Japanese air force during the battle. While the Japanese still had a few aircraft carriers left, they lacked a sufficient number of aircraft. The Imperial Japanese Navy still had battleships at its disposal, but these were not especially effective in naval battles, which included aircraft carriers. Japanese battleships, such as the Yamato, would also fall by the wayside in later naval battles of the Pacific War.